Jon watched as the two younger ones talked amongst themselves. They were out on the large lawn now, having navigated to the exit with ease.

It was hard for him to pay attention to the conversation. It wasn’t like with his friends, where he could just idly walk by and listen to whatever they were saying. Jon watched them practically throw words at each other as they rapidly talked, but it was like he had to watch them while not properly comprehending what was going on. Their conversation became a blur as he kept focused on their movements.

Thalia’s parents… I haven’t seen them… Jon figured they must have been okay since the journey. He wondered what would happen.

“Thalia.”

“Huh?” Thalia and Milo stopped their frantic conversation. Jon hadn’t even meant to say anything. He felt bad for interrupting the conversation, but it was too late. Jon decided just to go with it.

“How are… your parents?” Jon asked.

Thalia nodded with a grimace. “They’re fine. They’re visiting my brother again. They’re trying to convince him to come back to the house.”

Brother. Right.

“What type of parents try to convince their kid to move back into the house.” Milos shook his head. “He already left.”

“Not forever!” Thalia said. “Just to visit. I'm gonna stay with him after I'm finished over here. Just me and him.”

Milo seemed to stop caring. He immediately turned to Jon.

“And why do you care about her parents? You trying to marry her for her money or something?”

Thalia stomped on Milo’s foot.

“Ahh!!! That’s why I don’t walk!” Milo flew upside down and held on to his foot.

Now Jon felt bad for asking. He should have known not to get involved.

“Don’t listen to him.” Thalia nodded glumly. “He’s just not used to being around normal people. Everyone he knows is rich.”

She made a stern look at the upside-down Milo, who was still holding on to his foot in pain.

“And rich people always live with their parents!” She added.

“Well, my Dad’s never home,” Milo replied. “So, it’s not like he really lives here that much anyway.”

Thalia groaned.

“I should make you apologize,” she said, “but I don’t think you’d get it.”

“You can’t make me apologize!” Milo yelled.

Jon thought back to his parents. He still lived with them. Did that make him rich? Maybe, like Hector, Jon was living abound in privilege that he never realized. But then most of the people on the farm lived with their parents regardless. And also his siblings had moved out, never to come back.

Jon decided the farm was a different society than here, and that he probably shouldn’t try to compare the two like they were even.

“No more fighting,” Jno pleaded.

“Okay.” Tahlia nodded. “I’ll try.”

She walked on ahead.

“Wait!” Milo floated after her again.

All of this was immediately exhausting to Jon. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something like anticipating trouble to happen all the time.

Nothing can happen, right?

Jon walked after them again.

They went out of the market and into the plaza. Milo threw his hood up over his head and lowered to the floor.

They waited for Jon to get closer.

“I don’t want to get recognized by the rabble,” Milo explained. “I don’t need people crawling over me. Usually, I would, but I’m not in the mood.”

“No one recognizes him,” Thalia explained.“It’s just fulfillment for his ego.”

Milo gave a dark glare in Thalia’s direction.

“Where are we going?” Jon asked. He wanted to avoid another argument, but he was also genuinely curious.

Thalia glowed. “This way!”

She disappeared into the rush of the crowd.

Jon looked down at Milo, who silently walked away.

Milo was easy enough to track in the crowd. Unlike Thalia who slipped through far and ahead easily, Milo walked with a strong bob of his head, as if he was moving purposely to unaligned himself with the people surrounding him. Even if his head was covered, he was wearing an elaborate black robe with a strong purple cloak over it. That, along with his tall staff, made him very easy to follow. He stuck out in the crowd regardless of what he did with his head.

Soon, Milo popped out of the crowd, and Jon came right after. Thalia was standing in front of several tables that were separated from the main road by an incredibly low barrier. The entrance led past the tables to a large open door, which went into what seemed like a large tavern.

People were eating the food outside on some of the tables.

Ah. This was quite uncanny to Jon. There was no reason for it to be, but it was.

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Thalia was already sitting down at an empty table.

“Over here!” She waved.

Jon and Milo joined her at the table. Milo sat across from Thalia, and Jon sat next to him.

“You don’t have to keep your hood up,” Thalia said quietly, leaning forward so that she could see Milo. “No one cares. And no one’s gonna assassinate you.”

“I’d like to see them try.” Milo whipped his hood off. Off in the crowd, a man walking by stopped and took a look at Milo.

Jon’s heart skipped. Milo noticed this and looked to see the man looking at him.

“Yes?” Milo asked indignantly. “Do you expect me to stand on the table and dance for you?”

The man turned away and went on about his business.

Jon exhaled in relief. He had to remember that others weren't as timid in public as he was, even the younger people.

Mini-Hector.

“Man should learn his manners…” Milo muttered afterward, not done scoping out his onlooker.

“Hello!”

Jon turned back around. Standing adjacent to the table was a waitress wearing a dress with an apron over it. Jon had never seen anyone wear an apron over such a nice dress.

“Do you guys need a menu, or shall I take your order?” She asked.

“Give me a Luemrian shake,” Milo answered immediately.

Jon felt something poke his hand. He looked in Thalia’s direction.

“Can I order for us?” Thalia asked.

“Sure,” Jon said.

“Two rat catchers please!” Thalia held up two fingers.

The waitress nodded, responding jovially.

“Great! Coming right out!” She turned and walked back into the building.

Hmmm… Jon took note of the situation. Nothing happened. There were no smart alec responses or anything. Jon felt awkward that everything went fine.

He looked back at the other two. They were busy looking in different directions, not speaking.

What happened? Am I supposed to start conversation?

Jon couldn’t open his mouth or even begin to suggest anything. Instead, he just decided to take in the environment. He listened to the patter on the street. The faint echoes of conversation. The slight breeze of wind made that itself known.

At the tavern, Jon could hear the things people picked up off their plates, whether using a fork or their hands. He heard knives scraping on meat and plates.

He could have probably fallen asleep to the noise.

“Where’s Hector?”

Jon looked at Milo.

“In the town,” Jon answered.

“But where?” Milo looked at the street. “Ike, what part of town.”

“How is he supposed to know that now?” Thalia responded.

“None of your business! I didn’t ask you!”

Jon groaned. There went his peace.

“Excuse me.”

The three of them turned to the woman, who had returned from inside with two plates in her hands. They were identical plates of sandwiches. Jon wondered if Thalia just had a thing for sandwiches.

“Our food is done that quick?” Milo asked. “Where’s mine?”

“She only has two hands,” Thalia muttered. The woman, however, crossed her arms in an apologetic motion after placing the plates down.

“I’m sorry,” The woman said to Milo. “We’re out of Southside lettuce.”

“Really?” Milo looked into the street. There was a moment before he retired to the waitress.

“There’s a stand over there,” Milo began, pointing at where he was just looking. “I can even give you the money if you go and-”

“No!”

Jon wasn’t expecting Thalia’s sharp response. Despite her previous outbursts, this one felt a lot colder than the previous ones. He shivered.

“No? But it’s right there.” Milo reached into his cloak. “I can even get it. It’s-”

“I can’t stand you!” Thalia suddenly hopped over the banister and ran into the crowd,

“Damn it!” Milo looked at Jon, “She’s probably going back to those lowlives in the arena. I’ll bring her back.”

Milo floated up and out of his seat.

“Thalia! Come back!” He called hovering over the crowd.

Jon frowned. He looked at the woman.

She didn’t want to show any strong emotion other than patiently waiting for an answer. It made Jon nervous that he couldn’t read her.

“Do you want that to go?” she asked.

Jon raised his eyebrow.

“Take away,” she added. “To take… with you…”

Jon nodded. He didn’t think that he should leave the two of them alone for too long. He didn’t want them to start a fight in the street as they did in the library.

I have to pay, right?

Jon reached into his pouch to find out that it wasn’t there like last time.

His heart went into double-time. This was a terrible situation to be in.

His head started trying to reach for some sort of answer. He didn’t want to get in trouble for not paying. He didn't know what would happen, but it probably would have been bad.

He thought really hard, trying to imagine what his friends would do.

They would pay her.

Tallow probably wouldn’t have even cared enough and walked away to come back with money. Jon wasn’t that brave. Was there anything he could think of?

What would Farmer Dan do?

His brain settled down on a memory. He and Dan had been eating at the tavern in they usually stayed at in the Apartha Towsend.

“Oh, my goodness!” Dan threw his head over his head in minor shock, just missing the brim of his wide hat. “I done forgot my money at the stand.”

“Oh, Dan…” the waitress had crossed her arms and gave an “oh, shucks” face. “You shouldn’t leave your money like that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’mma leave you some collateral.”

“Oh, Dan, you don’t have to…” the waitress began.

“Of course I do!” Dan took off his hat and placed it on the table. Jon didn't realize how much he wasn’t used to seeing Dan’s greasy black hair.

“Here’s my favorite hat! Honestly, the most valuable thing to me here is Jon… I oughta leave him here instead. He could keep you company. How ‘bout it?”

Jon shook his head side to side swiftly.

Dan chuckled. “Alrighty. Besides, your mom would probably kill me for putting you up like that.”

“Go on and get your money!” the waitress cried, ushering him. “You don’t want no one to steal it!”

Dan and Jon stood up and left the table.

“Remember, boy,” Dan patted Jon on the back. “You gotta leave something valuable. Something that they know you’re gonna come back for. Or at least something they can sell off if you don’t.”

Jon didn’t like the idea of being sold. Now, thinking back on it, Jon didn’t realize that Dan had named him as something valuable. It felt different thinking back on it.

Dan suggesting Jon for collateral spoke volumes as well.

Something valuable.

“I… uh…” Jon took off his blunderbuss and placed it on the table.

“Collateral,” he told the woman. "Is that okay?"

"Uhh..." the woman looked mildly surprised. "Sure... I..."

With that, he stepped over the banister and went into the crowd.